Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway provides a refreshing auto trip,
bike ride or hike along a 23-mile alpine route in the Pike and Arapaho
National Forests.

The Byway is accessible in less than an hour either from U.S. Highway
285 in the town of Grant, or off Interstate 70 at the Georgetown exit.
Approximately 10 miles of the road is paved or oiled, with the remaining
12 miles a gravel surface. It is maintained year-round for passenger vehicles,
though large RVs are not recommended on this mountain byway.

Remember to dress warmly as even in summer the temperatures can drop
significantly, and storms move in quickly at this high elevation.

By mid-September, the Guanella Pass Scenic & Historic Byway is one
of the premier places to view the turning of the aspens. Along the 23-mile
route, you'll see swaths of quaking, shimmering leaves creating golden
waves along the mountainsides. This Scenic & Historic Byway, however,
is equally spectacular throughout the year.

Early in the summer tiny alpine flowers cover the ground. These hardy
plants, often less than an inch high and smaller than a dime, can take
100 years to grow and have to withstand intense solar radiation, freezing
temperatures and constant, punishing winds. Later in the season, Geneva
Park is home to fields of blue columbines, Colorado's state flower.

In the winter, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers admire the magnificent
view of snowcapped Gray's Peak and Torrey's Peak from Guanella Pass. Both
of these mountains are more than 14,000 feet high. A herd of about 200
bighorn sheep live in the mountains above Georgetown and Silver Plume.
Another large herd resides above the town of Grant. During the winter
months they move to lower elevations for grazing and often are found along
the Byway roadside. Please remember not to feed the animals.

More wildlife will be observed along South Clear Creek and Geneva Creek,
which parallel the Byway. This area is home to a large beaver population.
North of Guanella Pass Campground, you can see numerous beaver dams and
lodges. The beavers share a habitat with a variety of songbirds, including
Wilson's warblers and white-crowned sparrows.

Old wagon route
The Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway follows an old wagon route
that linked the mining towns of Georgetown and Grant. Georgetown and Grant
were silver mining towns that blossomed during the 1860s. The pass sits
in the broad band known as the "mineral belt," running from
near Ward through Leadville into the San Juan Mountains. The belt contains
most of the state's mined regions. That portion of Guanella Pass that
lies within Clear Creek County is also considered a part of the Silver
Heritage Region, which was designated as such to preserve and enhance
both the cultural and natural resources of the area.

From the town of Grant, Guanella Pass follows Geneva Creek Canyon to
Falls Hill. At this point it climbs a series of switchbacks that have
been constructed across glacial moraine. At the top of Falls Hill the
road skirts the edge of Geneva Park, a large mountain meadow composed
of glacial soil deposits. As the road leaves Geneva Park and climbs north
along Duck Creek, dense stands of lodgepole pine give way to the spruce-fir
forest. Above Duck Lake the road reaches timberline and continues climbing
to a summit elevation of 11,666 feet above sea level.

North of Guanella Pass Summit, the road descends through the spruce-fir
forest before joining South Clear Creek at Guanella Pass Campground. For
several miles the creek meanders gently through willow thickets, interspersed
with beaver ponds and lush subalpine meadows. At Cabin Creek hydroelectric
plant the valley narrows, dropping past Clear and Green Lakes, to the
historic community of Georgetown. A number of pullouts along this section
of the route provide breathtaking views of the South Clear Creek Valley
and Georgetown.

Natural and historic sites may be visited and photographed all along
the Guanella Pass Scenic & Historic Byway, which includes part of
the roadway in Georgetown. The historic mining camps of Waldorf and Geneva
City offer side excursions for mountain bikers and hikers on either side
of the Pass during summer months.

Stairway to stars
The Waldorf cutoff just outside of Georgetown eventually meets the abandoned
Argentine Central Railway Bed. This 16-mile narrow-gauge railway, known
as the "Stairway to the Stars," was built in 1905 by Edward
Wilcox to access his mines on Mount McClellan. It passed through Waldorf
and terminated in a mining tunnel called the Ice Palace, which was filled
with ice formations and was a popular tourist attraction.

Back Country Access
There are extensive backcountry trails leading from the summit of the
pass through the Mount Evans Wilderness Area and Geneva Basin. From the
summit, it is possible to take a day hike up nearby Mount Bierstadt (14,060
feet) or Square Top Mountain. In the winter, many of the hiking routes
turn into backcountry cross-country ski trails.

Trout fishing is a favorite pastime in Clear Lake, South Clear Creek
and Duck Creek. There are five campgrounds and two picnic areas along
the Byway maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Residents and visitors
alike are reminded of the fragile nature of the Guanella Pass Scenic &
Historic Byway. Wildlife and vegetation are precious to us all and respect
for this environment will ensure its fruitful nature and survival for
future generations to enjoy.